Rated R for grisly violence and torture, and some language.
Directed by Gregory Hoblit (Fracture, Hart’s War and Frequency)
Starring Diane Lane, Colin Hanks, Erin Carufel, Billy Burke, Joseph Cross, Mary Beth Hurt
“A cyber killer has finally found the perfect accomplice: You.”
Untraceable is the story of secret service agent, Jennifer Marsh (Diane Lane), who gets caught in a very personal and deadly cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer who knows that people will log on to a website where he shows the violent murders live. The scary part is the more people who log on, the quicker and more violently the victim dies.
Gregory Hoblit has directed some of my favorite “sleepers” of all time (Frequency, Hart’s War, Fallen and Primal Fear) but this one was just “OK”. It seemed to be a good premise for a great movie but everything fell flat. There was no chemistry between Lane and Hanks; and Joseph Cross was just no where near creepy enough to be the keep-me-awake-at-night serial killer.
Untraceable is suspenseful and pretty intense at times but it’s relevant and accurate commentary about today’s society is the scariest part of the film. That commentary on our culture did cause me some restlessness. And honestly I kept thinking I hope the serial killer who is just waiting for a “good idea” is not watching this. Don’t worry about it too much, chances are he skipped this one too.
So if you have a free rental and 2 free hours, give it a shot, otherwise, skip it.
Oh and one last thing, those who marketed Untraceablereally should have thought twice before comparing it to Silence of the Lambs.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
No, the R-rated violence and images are way too disturbing.
Side Note:
As said above, we don’t recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
